through the darkness comes light
by firemedic
Summary: this is a story of romance after a strong friendship is formed. steph is the new girl to the station and it seems her lieutenant tries to protect her from the guys forcing her to tell her story. but when he gets hurt how does she react now that they are friends does her mind flash back to losing her fiancee . well she make it through and will he be her light in the darkness.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: the Chicago Fire characters I use in my stories are property of Dick wolf and his shows creators as well as NBC

This is my first fic it's a story of romance/Friendship/brotherhood this story is rated T

**Though the darkness comes light.** ( , , M,Casey an firehouse 51)

Steph enters the house she is new to this house placed right onto Rescue Squad 3 cause of her heroism and her experience from out in NYC where she is from.

She looks around the house seeing all the guys just hanging around when her eyes rest on him Lieutenant Severide her boss on Squad, he had to be the most strong man she had ever encountered she had read some research on him before coming to the house. He stands up and slowly approaches her, he is tall built and god those eyes she could get lost in them.

Steph shakes her head trying to clear it thinking don't you can't fall for your boss that's crazy.

"Good morning, I will show you were you can put your things.' Kelly smiles looking at her gear seeing her FDNY patches wanting to ask her so much.

"Thank you, sir that would be great." Steph smiled back at him.

Steph sighs putting her gear away on the truck and her things in her locker he had put her locker next to his and the truck lieutenants. She could hear the whispered had she been through 9-11? What kind of firefighter could she be? How does she get placed right on squad without going through the ranks?

"Hey Johnson come sit with us we just started a card game." Kelly calls out from across the station he wasn't about to treat her like any other candidate she had experience under her belt she was already a firefighter.

"So the game is 5 card poker you know how to play?" Kelly smirks leaning on the table.

"Yes sir I would mop the floor with my boys back in NYC on this game im sure I can handle it here." Steph teases back wanting to fit in with these guys.

"You know you don't have to call me sir we aren't that formal around here just call me Severide or Kelly." He smiles leaning back again.

"Ok fine Severide, let's just play cards alright." Steph chuckles.

They were into the third game of cards as the day seemed it was starting slow when finally she hears what she has been dreading.

"Ok I'm sorry Kelly but I can't ignore it anymore" Hadley pipes up

His dark eyes turn to Steph, "You were in NYC during 9-11 you have to have some stories and to be here you need to share you war story to fit in in this house."

All the guys turned and stared Hadley having said it loud enough for everyone to hear, she watched them all walk to the table as she swallows hard thinking damn I was trying to avoid this.

Steph looks at him as she watches Kelly shoot him the death stare the unspoken warning in his glare. She sighs "Ok fine you want a story a war story then you get one." She leaned back in her chair everyone standing around now.

"It was the morning of the attacks and I was talking with my crew in the station we were not far from Downtown and we watched as the planes hit the buildings we were the first paged out, first to respond." Steph takes a deep breath trying to steady her voice.

"We watched as the people jumped not thinking there was another way out, we got our orders and started up to the 54th floor to start our clearing, over the radio we heard the building structure is compromised get out now all units out now." She could still hear the yelling of the orders in her mind her hands started shaking as she felt Kelly's eyes on her noticing her hands.

"My fiancée and I were both working the same station that day and we got to the third floor a cop was also following us down when the building crashed around us. I was pinned my shoulder I couldn't move it, I couldn't feel my right hand. I searched frantically for him I called out." "Eric answer me dammit, come on please answer me." She heard a low moan 4 feet from her and there he was pinned his legs crushed and he was breathing shallow. Steph moved to reach him screaming out in pain her shoulder tearing she saw he was losing so much blood. "Hey babe." Eric smiled up at her "Look at you trying to still save me, I am not going to make it out of this." Eric started coughing as blood came up from his mouth. "No don't say that please. The cop is dead you can't leave me not like this Eric your stronger." Steph yanked again screaming in pain able to pull him into her lap she had lost all feeling in her arm now. Her hands were shaking as she slid her hand on his cheek. "I love you please please don't go please stay with me I can't do this along." Steph began to fight tears as she felt a hand on her shoulder it being Kelly's. "Stop you don't have to finish this if you don't want to. "Kelly was ticked at Hadley for even saying anything.

Steph shook her head pushing forward. "we were going on being trapped for 3 hours he was in shock his pulse was weak and his breathing with shallow." Steph blinks tears falling, he looked at me and with his last breath he told me that through this darkness I would find another light. I told him all the time he was my light, he said I would find someone else to be that light and to not be alone after him and he died right there in my arms." "I was pulled out 6 hours later and watched as they pulled his body out I had to have surgery to my shoulder and was in rehab for 4 weeks came back to the job and pushed through. I took this transfer to try and forget though I never will and to be closer to my family." Her eyes turn glaring at Hadley "Is that a good enough damn war story for you does it make me a good firefighter all the death I saw does that make me strong enough." Steph stands storming off her hands shaking tears falling she got a sick feeling again.

She jumped feeling hands on her shoulders, as she turned there he was her lieutenant he wrapped her in his arms hugging him. Her arms wrapped around him as she cried she felt so weak in his eyes right now and as if he could read her mind.

"Don't start thinking your weak cause to tell that story and bring yourself through this your stronger then most I have worked with and am sorry you had to relive that.

Steph nodded sighing. "Thank you, and its ok I should get use to those questions." She looked up into his eyes as he smiled softly hugging her again. She had never felt so calm in a long time so safe she had felt it since Eric could this man be here light in the darkness her new strength.

So I would like to know what everyone thinks and I'll be adding on more chapters soon there is more to this story. And just so you all know steph is my alter ego.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: through the darkness comes light.**

Steph sighs looking around at her apartment everything still in boxes her literally having to work the first day after moving in, as there is a knock on the door. She slowly opens the door and standing in her doorway are Severide, Casey, Gabby and Leslie.

"umm Hi can I ask why you're here." Steph looks around thinking this place is a mess.

Kelly laughs his deep laugh walking in "well we figured you could use the help of some friends with unpacking since it can be a real pain and we know you haven't had much time with working so late the other day."

"Wow sure that would be great guys thanks come on in." Steph smiles watching them come in Matt and Kelly starting to put together some of her furniture the girls pulling her away to help her unpack.

**A few hours later..**

"Wow thank you guys I finally have an apartment not a sea of boxes" steph laughs her having ordered pizza. "Please stay and have some pizza as a thank you."

"Hmm thanks we would but I promised Gabby I would help her down at molly's tonight." Matt smiles as he and Gabby take their leave. "I would love to stay but I am taking Clar out for our anniversary." Shay smiles kissing her best friends cheek. :See you at home Kelly." Shay smiles walking out

So there it was she was alone in her place with Kelly, a man she couldn't help but feel an attraction to and she didn't know why. She was watching him hanging up her pictures him looking at all her pictures from NYC seeing one of her and her former fiancée.

"You know I was engaged once myself." Kelly kinda turns to her putting down the hammer, "Mine cheated on me and I called off the wedding, I tried to help her recently by request of her brother but she wouldn't let me I still blame her and my father for my issues at least you had closure." Kelly bit his lip thinking oh man that came out harsh as he felt her gaze on him.

"Closure, ya I had closure cause I watched him die." Steph sighs angry he could say something so harsh she wanted to kick him out at that point.

"Hey I'm sorry I didn't mean it like that, I just ment at least you could move forward without wondering if it was you that caused the person to leave," Kelly sighed trying to recover feeling like a real jerk.

She sighed "I am sorry I didn't mean to get mad at you I know what you mean, it just hurts." Steph sits with him bringing him a beer and some pizza.

"Come on take a break and have something to eat I would love to get to know you better." Steph chuckles smiling at him.

Kelly sits with her them talking for hours he hadn't laughed so much in a long time she shared stories of her family all 5 of the kids and her parents, he had filled her in on some of his past but left out how his father left him and his mother at 11 how he felt he couldn't connect with someone causehe always felt he would be left that damage done by Renee and his father.

Kelly looked at his watch "oh wow its half past midnight I better get home before shay sends out a search party for me." Kelly laughs pulling on his leather jacket.

Steph kinda bites her lip looking at him, "you are welcome to crash on my couch if you want to hate that I kept you here so late."

Kelly stops looking at her walking over to her, "You didn't keep me here this late I chose to stay cause I was enjoying your company." He smiles at her him slowly stepping into her his hand on her jaw.

Steph felt like she couldn't breath was he going to kiss her, did she want this they are friends barely, she enjoyed spending so much time getting to know him but knowing he had other shadows hiding and could they handle them. She went to step back but if was like her brain and her bodies weren't working together and in seconds her felt his lips softly against her. He deepened the kiss pulling her into his chest his fingers in her hair.

Steph pulled back finally slightly panting her looking in his eyes. "Kelly you barely know me enough to know if you want this and I don't know if I can do this again I already felt like I lost part of me with him what if I fall for you now and the same happens I can't." steph feels his thumb on her lips stopping her from finishing.

"I don't know what it is about you but I don't want to stay away, I don't want to give up on this whatever this is, all I know is I want to get to know you." Kelly looks in her eyes leaning into kiss her again.

This time she steps out of the kiss as much as she wanted him to kiss her again, "then give me time, please I need more time I need to fall into step here and I need to know you more, so please if you do want this just give me time." Steph looked up in his eyes slight hurt looking back at her but also an understaning.

"Ok, I will give you the time you need, just know I would wait forever to get to know you better and to maybe let you through my walls." Kelly smiles hugging her and kissing her cheek as he walks out of her apartment thinking about the kiss they just shared him almost feeling like he is in love for the first time.

Steph went to the window and watched as he pulled away her smiling as tears fall, her unsure how to feel. Is this going to work he is my supervisor, my friend I don't want to give up what we have if this doesn't work are the rumors true of all the women in his life did it really matter at this point. How could this man almost erase every fear she had ever since Eric, how could he make her feel even more safe and warm then Eric ever did.

Steph laid back in bed knowing she would have to face him the next day on shift, how different was that going to be knowing he wanted to be with her, after they had shared a kiss, should she transfer and forget him so she wouldn't have to worry about falling in love and dealing with heart break again, she sighed falling asleep wishing she knew what to do.

**Note: So he kissed her is there something there or does she need to know all about him? Did Eric bring him to her for a reason to help her move on? Or will she have to face a fear of almost losing him to before ever giving him the chance he deserves?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: through the darkness comes light**

**One week later:**

Steph was glad that the first day after he kissed her had gone by without a hitch he never even mentioned it their friendship just continued.

They had been having a fairly quiet shift so far nothing major just a few minor fires, has she lay in her bunk she had fallen asleep around midnight after finishing watching a movie with mouch and herman.

"He is gone step him sorry Eric is gone there was nothing you could do" steph tossed and turned dreaming hearing the news over again after coming out of surgery, she sat straight up in her bed in a cold sweat, she sighed slipping on her shoes walking down the hall to the kitchen, she hadn't had a nightmare in the last month.

Steph poured herself a cup of tea and sat flipping the channels she looked at the clock "_wow two in the morning that has to be a record for me." _ Steph thought to herself.

She heard footsteps approaching what was he doing awake, she turned seeing Kelly walk in as he came and sat by her, she slide over to her friend and leaned against him.

"Nightmare wake you." Kelly smiles sitting with her him not able to sleep either. "ya I haven't had one in months." Steph sighs sipping her tea.

"Ok so since I have you cornered now that night we talked I shared my dark side with you now you must have one that you haven't told me about." Steph looks in his eyes him staring back at her.

"You really want to know my dark side and my struggles." Kelly sighed looking at her, "If you want us to be close I heard truth is the best thing between friends. Isn't that how you and shay work." Steph smirks looking at him "I mean if you rather I can talk to Shay about you." She watched as his eyes grew dark.

"No! ok you want to know something you ask me not sneek around and ask others I told you about my ex fiancée what more could u possibly want to know." Kelly growled at her. Steph sighed "I told you about my family and you didn't talk about yours I am curious on the rumors about your love life." She felt him shift getting up fast.

"No! the rumors aren't true its all crap and talk and about my family I don't feel I have one I HAVE A MOTHER MY FATHER WALKED OUT ON US OK IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW SO YOU CAN NOW PRETEND YOU REALLY CARE FOR ME AND HOLD ME AND WATCH ME FALL APART." Kelly didn't mean to shout at her. Steph sighs "Kelly I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you I just want to know you as my friend as someone who has my back." She wanted to say more but they were interrupted by the tones.

**SQUAD 3 AMBULANCE 61 TRUCK 51 ENGINE 81 BATALLION 25 WAREHOUSE FIRE AND COLLAPSE VICTIMS TRAPPED.**

Steph's heart sank the one call she had been dreading she hadn't been on a collapse call since 9-11. He looked over seeing the look in her eyes seeing fear and dread he kinda shook her shoulder. She pulled away looking at him with hurt not wanting his help after their little misunderstanding. "I will be fine lieutenant," steph practically spat at him getting in her gear.

He felt terrible he didn't mean to yell at her he just really hated talking about his past and about his crap father who caused him to have commitment issues and his own problems making relationships work.

They got out on scene other crews there cooling the fire but it was their job as squad to do the search. She began to suit up in her air pack as Kelly grabbed her shoulder. "Johnson you with me Capp and Mills we are taking the east side of the building." Kelly in his mode of being lieutenant.

They entered the building Capp and Mills slightly behind them she heard a creaking noise the structure was compromising, "Lieutenant we need to move the roof is coming down." Steph looked over head as she began to watch the roof fall apart she dove at him knocking him down covering him with herself wincing a beam hitting her back. She could hear him yelling her name trying to get her to answer him as the darkness consumed her and she blacked out.

He looked at her she was out cold her pass alarm was sounding and his low air alarm was going off, he needed to know she was ok that she wasn't dead he watched her breathing just as he passed out feeling lightheaded due to lack of air.

**10 mins later:**

Steph slowly starts to come around knowing she blacked out from the pain as she notices him not moving his breathing shallow his pass alarm sounding now and his low air alarm sounding. "Dammit no no no I am not losing another friend like this I'm not watching someone else die, over me." Steph pulls herself free crying out in pain from her leg she called a Mayday over the radio. "MAYDAY MAYDAY FIREFIGHTER DOWN EAST CORNER OF THE BUILDING." Steph's hands were shaking hard as she pulled her mask from her face putting it on him she noticed now he was barely breathing only a few breathes every couple minutes she quickly leaned down letting her medic training take over her pinched his nose placing her mouth on his giving him two quick breaths she prayed for what seemed like forever as he began to cough she put her mask on him as she heard the crew getting to them.

Casey reached them with Herman and Cruz. "Take Kelly first I don't know how long he was without air but he wasn't breathing well for awhile there." Steph coughs as they pull him away them having to take him off her air tank, she felt Cruz's arm around her helping her out of the building, she watched helpless as Shay and Dawson put a mask on Kelly he was awake now and his eyes locked with hers. She had saved him, this young girl had saved a seasoned lieutenant he tries to smile at her.

Steph blinks her hands still shaking her now on and Oxygen mask and being ordered to go into Lakeshore with Shay and Dawson. She sat on the bench next to Kelly and her mind began to get foggy.

He looked over at her and saw a distant look in her eyes he tries to get her attention he tried to get her to answer him. She just stared blank like she couldn't hear him her hands were shaking as they entered Lakeshore get heard screaming from the room down from his.

"Get the Restraints before she hurts someone including herself" a doctor yelled Kelly knew the screams it was Steph she was screaming for Eric she was flashing back to the day she lost him he knew he had to do something to help her she was already family to all o them he needed to get to her.

She fought everyone she needed to see him, she was stuck in the past as she saw him walk in to her room he was still in his bunker pants he limped walking to her. "Eric is that you." Steph reached out touching Kelly's chest. He knew she was lost in the past he grabbed her shoulders shaking her hard. "Stephaine come back to me I am not Eric he is gone your talking to me Kelly Severide snap out of this and look at me." Kelly was worried about her, he had knew seen anyone like this before she was almost afraid she had some kind of head injury. Steph looked up into his eyes "Kelly oh my god it is you, your ok I saved you you didn't die cause of me." Steph smiles hugging him, "but why is Eric with you I don't understand." Steph looked at him it was her talking but her eyes something was wrong. "Steph he isn't here its just me." Kelly had her by her shoulders

Steph smiles tears in her eyes "no he is here both of you are here with me." She quickly goes limp in his arms and starts to seize. He watches at the doctors take over he could feel tears stinging his eyes as he felt Shay's hands on his shoulders. "We can't lose another one not like we lost Andy she is stronger then this." Kelly lets a tear fall afraid for her at this point afraid for his friend hating that his last words to her were them fighting. He watched as the doctors ran past with her intubated on the cot she had a brain bleed that was causing her to see him she was circling the drain he sagged into the chair in the waiting room with the rest praying hoping she would pull through.

**Note: so does she make it? How does this effect him? How does it help them get closer, does he decide to step it up and not let her go again?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: the characters of chicago fire do not belong to me that belong to Dick Wolf and NBC.**

**Chapter 4**

**one week later...**

Steph shifted in the hospital bed her opening her eyes slowly he was there again, he was sleeping peacefully in the recliner next to her bed.. she sat up and rang for the nurse, as the nurse entered the room steph looked at her and smiled.

"How long has he been here?" Steph wondered to the nurse as she smiled and kinda chuckled. "I don't think he ever left this whole time maybe once while your brother was here to go and shower." she smiled at the sleeping Kelly.

"He really worries about you, he cares a lot and so do the rest of the station they have been up her a lot too." Nurse smiles. "your lucky to have such great friends."

steph smiled as she leaves the room thinking "Ya I am pretty lucky." she reaches over gently touching his hand, as he jerks awake.

"Hey you how are you doing today?" Kelly smiles taking her hand in his him sitting up kinda yawning.

"You know you don't have to stay I am not your burden Kelly." Steph looks over at him, as he kinda pulls his hand away.

"You are not a burden do you have any idea what I went through when you were in surgery, Steph I was worried I would never see you again I was afraid I wouldn't get to tell you how much I want to get to know you and" Kelly sighs looking at her tears threatening his eyes.

"Kelly you should know something about that day I had the brain bled I saw him Kel I saw him I talked to him he hugged me." she looks up in his eyes, as he looks away fighting tears.

"Stop please." he gets up slowly his back to her wanting to lose it himself.

"Kelly whats wrong." Steph wipes his tears.

"I can't listen to you saying you were with him, I can't listen to how I almost lost you and I would have never gotten the chance to tell you that I love you." "I have never fell this hard or this fast for anyone in my life until you, there is something about you that has made me change." he looks in her eyes his blue eyes such a light color." but what does it matter you won't give me a chance cause your to afraid to take a risk." Kelly is standing at this point at the foot of her bed.

"Kelly I have lost someone I loved before who was a firefighter, and if I allow myself to love you and I lose you I won't want to go on I will feel like a death dealer." Steph sighs as she feels his hands take her jaw.

"Our jobs are life and death we risk everything for people we don't even know we risk never going home, but yet you won't take a risk on not being alone forever and you won't take a risk on loving someone and giving your heart to someone again, but yet you will risk yourself for a stranger." Kelly sighs "Think about that a minute."

Steph looks up in his eyes realizing how crazy she is to not give him a chance this man had been here every night had never left her side this whole time, tears begin to fall as he leans in wiping them away.

Kelly sits back on the bed him looking at her.

"Kelly, he told me it wasn't time for me yet he told me I had to come back to you." she looks at him tears falling.

"He said that he sent you to me to help me through everything to make sure I was safe, he told me that your my light in the darkness that I have been stuck in since he died." she smiles him taking her hand wiping her tears away.

"I was told to stop pushing you away and to give you a chance to let you in my life," Steph smiles as he pulls her into his arms holding her tears falling.

"Shhh don't cry please your breaking my heart." he tries to get her to laugh as he plays with her hair.

"He is right its time to take that chance and your right it is time to take that risk. So let's take that risk." she smiles as his hand rests on her jaw him kissing her softly.

**One day later...she is getting to go home.**

Steph smiles as he leans on the doorway watching her.

"Aren't you suppose to be on shift Lt. Severide." she chuckles walking toward him as he puts an arm around her.

"Well yes I am on shift, but the guys and I came here to give you a ride home in the Squad." He smiles leaning in and kissing her head.

" Have you told anyone about us being together." she looks at him a bit worried knowing that she may get pulled off squad cause he is her lieutenant.

Kelly sighs and nods, "Boden knows and he is trying to decide what to do while your off, cause couples are not suppose to work under each other, they had the same problem with Casey and Dawson,"

Steph sighs thinking "Well if worse comes to worse I can either transfer house or shifts." She slightly smiles looking in his eyes his hand on her jaw.

"I don't know if I could handle not having you close to know that your safe or doing anything reckless." Kelly laughs his deep laugh pulling her into a hug.

"The strong and tough Lieutenant Severide has a weak side huh." she teases him poking his side. "Hey now don't be telling anyone that I won't look like such a tough guy to the rest of them and well I have a reputation to maintain lady." He chuckles grabbing her bag.

"Are you ready to get home and get some more rest, before getting back to work you have been through enough lately."

she nods taking his hand "Home sounds really good at this point,"

**Note**

I know this is a really short chapter I am hoping to do better with the next chapter let me know what you guys think and does their relationship end up working? Does she leave the station? Do they allow the rules to be bent slightly?


End file.
